Beth Cox Report: February/March 2018

Here in Wisconsin, we have an upcoming election on April 3, 2018 for the offices Supreme Court Justice, Court of Appeals Judge, Districts I and IV, and Circuit Court Judge.

We're also having an election on an amendment to Wisconsin's state constitution. If the amendment becomes state law, then the state office of Treasurer will be abolished, and their duties will be taken over by the lieutenant governor.

I am not endorsing any candidate or position. However, I want to stress that the constitutional amendment that could eliminate the office of Treasurer is especially important, simply because money is power.

Therefore, I urge every Wisconsin citizen who is eligible to vote to research the issue and make your will known in the ballot box. The Link of the Month award goes to two unbiased websites that are a good place to start when looking up election information:

I believe certain other states also have elections for various matters on April 3, 2018. If you live in America, then please find out whether your state has an election, primary, or referendum, and vote as your conscience dictates.

Remember, the smaller an election is, the lower voter turnout tends to be - and the bigger the impact of your vote!

March has been a busy month here at the MBR. I've finally made some updates to our website, including a few new Advice for Publishers articles, listed below. I'd like to give a special shout out to author and contributor Peter Blaisdell, and his website Blaisdell Literary Enterprises at

Finally, here's two picks for the February and March Book of the Month. "Think Before You Like" directly addresses the need for critical thinking in the digital age, and "Monsters Beware!" is a fantasy graphic novel that's just plain fun to read, for both young adults and the young at heart.

Think Before You Like: Social Media's Effect on the Brain and the Tools You Need to Navigate Your Newsfeed shows how better critical thinking can result in better use of social media applications, and makes a powerful case for the dangers that lie in social media's appeal for those who would use it to keep up with daily events. From misinformation to fraud and propaganda, chapters discuss not only dangerous processes but how social media may be used to manipulate both media and readers' perceptions. Scientific studies consider why the subconscious mind loves social media and how that instinctive attraction can pose a danger by circumventing one's critical thinking processes. The result is a 'must' for social issues, computer, and critical thinking readers.

Monsters Beware! features the return of the intrepid would-be warrior girl Claudette, the aspiring chef and modestly talented magic-user Gaston, and the diplomatic young lady Marie, in an all-new graphic novel drawn in exuberant full color. In Monsters Beware!, Claudette manages to wrangle her friends into representing their town in the latest installment of the Warrior Games, but could one of the rival teams be... monsters? Then, other teams start to mysteriously disappear! Will Claudette even notice the impending mortal peril when she's focused on winning the games above all else? Monsters Beware! skirts the fine line between young adult fantasy and survival-horror, resulting in a death-defying adventure that readers of all ages will enjoy. Also highly recommended are the previous graphic novels in "The Chronicles of Claudette" series, "Giants Beware!" (9781596435827, $15.99) and "Dragons Beware!" (9781596438781, $14.99).